This invention refers generally to the environmental parameters acquisition technique and more particularly it relates to a telephone network system which allows the infrastructures of a telephone network, xe2x80x94which could be public or private, geographic or localxe2x80x94, to set up means by which data acquired by environment parameters detecting devices, widespread on the territory, are transmitted.
The known embodiments of an atmospheric monitoring network comprise some measurement boxes which contain a sensor set (polluting substances analyser, meteo sensors) and the Data Logger (an intelligent apparatus collecting the measures provided by the sensor set), usually connected by modem through a commutated telephone line to a Storing and
Processing Data Centre (a Personal Computer with a network management software).
Physically the sensor system is installed in some cabinets in which also the Data Logger transmitting data through a commutated telephone line to the Storing Data Centre, is comprised.
Therefore an element characterizing the monitoring system according to the known art, is the proximity between the sensor set and the Data Logger, always located together on a single unit.
The more evident disadvantage of this apparatus is the one to one relation between the group of sensors placed into a specific location and the relative Data Logger. However, the latter is potentially provided with means which enable one to aquire data from many groups of sensors placed on the territory in such a way as to carry out a capillary monitoring.
On the other hand a basic problem of remote monitoring acquisition devices arises from the power supply of the latter. Since it is necessary to work with remote supply detection apparatus, it is obvious that the distance to be covered would reduce drastically the power available originally at the exchange, even if the detection devices were made using low-power devices and circuits to minimize the consumption.
It""s an object of this invention to provide an environmental monitoring network with a centralized Data Logger that makes use of the telephone system infrastructures which could be public or private, geographic or local, for an operative connection with a remote sensor set in such a way as to remove the physical proximity constraint between the sensor set and the Data Logger, and to provide more detecting locations managed by only one acquisition apparatus.
A further object of this invention is to provide a telephone network environment monitoring system in which a remote supply of environmental acquisition apparatus can be achieved by the telephone exchange also over a very long distance.
Finally the object of this invention is to provide a telephone network environment monitoring system which uses devices, constituent parts and communication protocols of standard use in the field of telecommunications in order to provide a low cost, easy maintenance apparatus.
These and others objects which will be clear in the following description, are obtained through an environment monitoring telephone network system which comprises:
a plurality M of environment parameter detecting and transmitting units used to transmit data to the remote acquisition exchange, each of said units being provided with N analog input sensors;
at least, a telephone network private line for each detecting and transmitting unit, in order to transmit detected data to the remote acquisition exchange where is located a Data Logger and to supply remotely the detecting and transmitting unit;
a plurality M of receiving units, each one is provided for the interconnection with a specific detecting and transmitting unit, placed at the remote acquisition exchange and linked with the input channels of the Data Logger, which in turn is linked by means of a modem to a storing and processing center through a commutated telephone network.
The environment monitoring telephone network system is based on the following functionalities:
conversion of the analog measures provided by the N sensors in digital information;
transmitting the digital information from the detecting and transmitting unit to the remote acquisition exchange; and
reconverting the digital information into analog measures to input them to the Data Logger.